


RexSoka: Rex Versus The Terror

by lordhadrian



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Clone Wars, Episode: s05e02 The Wrong Jedi, F/M, Jedi, Jedi Code
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-29
Updated: 2015-03-29
Packaged: 2018-03-20 05:01:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3637680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lordhadrian/pseuds/lordhadrian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pong Krell has returned from the Dead with vampiric powers, and he wants revenge on the Clones of the 501st, especially Captain Rex.  He tracks down rogue Jedi Barriss Offee, who has escaped from prison, and former Separatist Conradin Hadranus as bait to lure Rex into a trap.</p>
<p>Ahsoka, having gone to Senator Amidala's home, senses a darkness in Coruscant and tracks down Rex to help him fight the undead monster Pong Krell.</p>
            </blockquote>





	RexSoka: Rex Versus The Terror

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, I know. Pong Krell as a vampire in the Star Wars Universe. I did it to see if I could make a story like this. Some might call it a silly fanfic, but that's only because it's never been done before :):)
> 
> There's a moment between Rex and Pong Krell inspired by dialogue from the Matrix. You might like it or think it's completely ridiculous.
> 
> Read, and enjoy. Feel free to tell me your honest opinion :)

Rex Versus the Terror

A Rexsoka story by

Lordhadrian

 

Ahsoka walked into the sunset days before. Destiny turned the page and let her write the end of the biggest chapter. She walked on and knew she could not look back. But, in her heart, she had one last regret that ached to be resolved. One last farewell that never had a chance to materialize. Would he ever forgive her for writing the last chapter without him present?

Barriss had one chance to escape prison. Slipping past the guards, she hastily escaped into the dark underworld of Coruscant. Her Destiny perhaps had a few more chapters, but in her heart she also felt one last regret, one last farewell that needed to be said. She did not dare hope for forgiveness from the one man who perhaps foolishly believed in her, let alone hope for it from the many who took her for granted. Death was watching the clock, and time was running out.

Anakin demanded he be the one to track her down. Rex was by his side as they split up the 501st into many teams, creating the largest manhunt across that sector of the planet.

"Rex, take your team and keep an eye on the sky. I'll investigate the lower levels and try to flush her out." Anakin marched out past several teams, taking long strides. "I want her DEAD OR ALIVE!" he barked.

Rex nodded "You heard the commander. Move out!"

Rex took his team down, but his heart was troubled. Ahsoka never had a chance to even say goodbye. In an instant, she had walked out on the Jedi. She had to leave, and he was unable to be there for her.

Rex snapped out of it. What's done is done. The least he could now is capture the traitor, Barriss Offee.

 

Meanwhile, over at a landing platform, platform 366, the clone troopers had to deal with a new encounter.

"The shuttle doesn't respond sir. It's coming in slow, but nobody is answering our hailing frequencies" A soldier reports to his lieutenant.

"Gather up the squad! We'll surround it when it lands."

The craft appeared from hyperspace, and drifted calmly down to the surface. No communication could be made. It felt abandoned despite its controlled landing, and the mystery of it made the troops at platform 366 nervous.

A shuttle landed at 366, and the lieut. had his men surround the craft. The officer went to the door and opened it.

It was dark inside, and the troops looked at each other wondering how it landed so smoothly.

"Maybe it was a ghost!" One of the troopers joked.

A dreaded voice from within dispelled all their humor. A deep voice. "No....not a ghost....." The shadow that blurred from inside the shuttle took them by complete surprise. The green and blue double bladed sabres whirled, spinning in deadly fashion. The Phantom was huge, and seemed familiar in the split second it took to kill almost all the guards.

The Lieutenant had an arm ripped away. He screamed in terror as the robed shadow calmly walked towards him.

"Now, my little puppet...tell Captain Rex I have returned!"

 

A wind blew softly in the night. Conradin Hadranus had been confined to his apartment with guards outside his door. After surrendering at the battle of Drongar, there was much debate as to what to do with him. He saved many Jedi and Clone Troopers, but he was also a Separatist, and a student to the nefarious Count Dooku. House arrest seemed to be the best option. For now.

He sat on his balcony, sipping a rare wine and deep in thought. He raised an eyebrow, hearing a commotion outside his door. he guards had been....compromised. Knocked out by a skilled fighter.

He sipped his wine and straightened up his uniform. The door opened, a hooded shadow walked through his apartment towards him as he poured the wine in a 2nd glass.

This shadow was a small, slender figure. Feminine. The shadow hesitated by the balcony's entrance, almost ashamed to meet him.

"The wine is from Praxis, a good year. Oxidated with good flavor." Conradin stared out into the night, his heart beating fast in excitement, a little fear, but also with the one opportunity he had hoped for.

"I've come to say goodbye, Conrad." Barriss finally spoke. "I sense you have so much to say, but there is no time for speeches, or your morality or any improvised schemes. I just wanted to....see you one last time."

Conradin pushed down the lump in his throat. "The guards are down, this might be the best moment you and I-"

"-Conrad, STOP IT!" Barriss took a step back into the shadows. "Happily ever after was a myth. It was always a myth. It isn't real!"

Conradin put his drink down fast "Then why are you even here!?" he blurted out. "You come to me now, but you just want to leave?? And go where!?"

She turned away. He could sense just as much turmoil within her as she could from him.

"Whatever happened to you out there in the war, whatever made you do what you did.....it doesn't matter now. You have a chance to move on, and start a new life. Why else would you be here? Because you and I have a connection. At least I am willing to admit it!"

"I am here because my Destiny is about to halt very abruptly. I wanted....to see you one more time. Maybe to see if you could even look at me after what I have become."

"How can you think I would ever turn you away? It was the war that broke you."

Barriss sighed with a realization. "I was afraid you might not forgive me, but you are all too willing to forgive. You make it look so easy. I don't know which is worse. It was a mistake to come here. I'm sorry...."

"BARRISS!!!" Conradin was now desperate "Why can't you try?? You don't want to even try to make this work! What are you afraid of? Attachments? It's too late for that now! Half of Coruscant is hunting for you! SKYWALKER....is hunting for you!"

Conradin walked over and embraced her, trying not to smother her with all his uncontrolled feelings. The damn was on the verge of bursting. This was his last chance to convince her that Destiny wasn't always in charge.

Barriss welcomed his hug, but hesitated to give in to her feelings. She sighed at the flood of dreams he spoke in his eyes, the flood of wild passion he bottled up for so long....from a different time. A time before she chose to become what she was.

"Skywalker won't let you go. He'll find you and-"

She looked up at him and hushed his panic with a finger. She knew he would give the world to escape with her. Grab his personal shuttle and fly to the furthest reaches of the Outer Rim.

His heart pounded. She sensed from him that his plan could work. But she also knew she would eventually break his heart even worse.

She caressed his face. She had a notion to kiss him, but that would only encourage his passions more, and she could not fuel a fire she had no intention of building. Better to let his feelings die than to enable a hopeless love.

"I go now. Conradin, with all my heart I wish for you happiness away from the war. Find a good, strong woman, and raise good, strong children." She walked away, going to the door.

"You go out there alone and you'll die!" He made a last, useless plea.

She nodded, understanding. "Then I die." She turned to walk away.

 

"How touching...." The deep voice perversely chuckled at their dilemma. Conradin felt a burst of heat explode from his back out of his chest. All he could do was gasp in surprise. The pain was an instant moment, but his body numbed itself around the vicious wound of the light saber.

Barriss, who had been a paragon of discipline in the midst of Conradin's passions was now flooded with horror and more regret. She gave out a scream and tried to attack the Phantom that impaled Conradin.

The hooded figure waved his hand violently, throwing her against the wall with the Force before pulling down his hood......revealing it was the decayed, pale, bloodied Pong Krell.

"You have let your emotions get control of you, Jedi Barriss Offee....I certainly expected you to be a better opponent."

She looked at him in shock and awe as he grinned, revealing blood around his mouth, and fangs of unnatural origins. He has recently fed on the lives of the Clone troopers, though he looked down at Conradin with an equal hunger.

"This can't be! YOU'RE DEAD! A traitor to the Jedi order!!" Barriss gasped.

Pong Krell smiled "Destiny has saw fit to resurrect me. I should be dead, yes. How I got here, even I do not fully understand, nor do I care."

"I'll kill you again, monster!" She ran at him, but he activated his light sabers and pushed her away again, causing the barely conscious Conradin to moan under the quick movements.

"Conradin....oh Conradin.....I'm so sorry..." She reached out for him.

"He is alive, but barely. I can heal him. Make him live again!" Krell grinned, using him as a chip in an unholy bargaining.

"How!?" Barriss felt more horror as the vampiric Krell grinned at her.

"That depends on you. Quid pro quo, Jedi Offee. I wish to kill a man. Captain Rex of the 501st! You will be the bait to lure him in my trap."

"You'll let Conradin live?" she asked weakly. Conradin tried to stop her. Krell picked him up and bared his fangs. He bit dowwn deep into Conradin's neck. He screamed in terror. The Separatist Senator felt drained of his blood, his life. Barriss watched in horror and wondered how Krell intended to keep him alive in this manner. The drinking of the blood, squirting everywhere as Pong made horrible noises was almost too much for Barriss. She went pale and felt weak in the knees at the sight.

Krell dropped him to the ground, and for a few seconds, Barriss was horrified at the sight of his unmoving body. But Conradin coughed after a moment, moving with difficulty.

"What have you done to me??" Conradin was a pale ghostly white, and felt the coldness of death over him. Barriss ran over and hugged him.

"He's so cold!" she looked up at Krell. Barriss was not ever one to panic or hesitate when a hard choice had to be made....but she faced something dark and evil, and was completely helpless.

Krell grabbed her shoulder and picked her up to face him. "He has been granted my grace. Eternal unlife. And now, I need you to draw Rex into a trap for me."

"No...NO!" she tried to pull away, but Pong Krell's grip was super strong. He reached to her neck and let his fangs glisten brightly in anticipation. "Time to ensure you will do as you're told...."

He bent his gross mouth to her neck. Barriss screams and struggles were useless. In moments, she would feel the cold power of Krell's will commanding her.

 

Ahsoka had gone to the one place she felt safe, to Senator Amidala's place, though she knew deep down it was to say a final goodbye.

To her surprise, Padme was not there. Senator Jar Jar Binks was.

"Looky looky!" Jar Jar smiled "Meesa was being hoping youssa be doing okeeday!"

"Thanks Jar Jar. I came to say farewell. Maybe you can tell Senator Amidala..."

Ahsoka stopped and went pale, struck by a punch in the Force that knocked the wind out of her. She could sense horror, blood....and death. Someone was in peril.

"Youssa be looking not so good" Jar Jar put his hand on her forehead and considered going to the medicine cabinet.

"Something's wrong" Ahsoka's voice wavered "I'm sensing a presence in darkness, and....someone I hoped I would not see again...."

Ahsoka panicked a little when a vision clouded her mind for a few seconds. A vision of the present....or maybe the future. She saw Captain Rex in peril, and the Force beckoned her to follow a path that absorbed her thoughts. She moved fast.

Ahsoka went for the exit, Jar Jar followed as they got into the elevator.

"I don't think you want to come along. This could get messy..."

"What is being so bombad? Youssa be sensing bad Jedi joo joo?"

"Yeah....bad Jedi joo joo."

"Meesa got a ship we can use. Meesa can help you."

Ahsoka almost refused his help. She had sensed true darkness, and did not want to endanger the Senator, but stayed quiet as he led her to his personal shuttle. Jar Jar, despite his reputation, had a good heart, and always seemed to do the right thing at the right time when push came to shove.

"Where we be going?" Jar Jar manned the controls.

 

 

Rex had gotten the call. He and his platoon detoured their manhunt to go to Platform 366.

"What's the scoop on 366?" One of his troops inquired as they boarded the LAAT.

"We think Barriss Offee may have tried to escape. The report is rather sketchy. All the men guarding the post are dead except for the Lieutenant, and he's not making any sense. But gunfire and light saber combat was heard, so it's possible Barriss tried to take a shuttle to leave Coruscant.

Rex had an uneasy feeling, but didn't know why. All he knew was he always trusted his instincts. His instincts were screaming that something was terribly wrong.

The flight to the platform was quiet as Rex talked to other investigators in his commlink. Skywalker was on the comlink with others, reviewing the security footage.

"I see light sabers attacking, but the form on the camera is blurred. Why is that?" Anakin asked.

"Whoever it is, they are much larger than Barriss Offee" Rex deduced "Has the lieutenant said anything?"

The trooper investigating at the platform tilted his head to the side "Sir, he says the message is only for you....and he keeps gibbering about 'The blackest eyes."

Anakin, convinced it was a separate incident, waved off the whole thing "Check it out, Rex. I'll keep searching for the traitor down below."

"Roger!" Rex nodded as the LAAT reached the platform and landed. He exited and approached the medical team and the lone survivor.

"Not much time left for the poor guy." The doctor looked down at the lieutenant, dying from shock and blood loss.

"Who did this to you, soldier?" Rex tried to talk calmly to the wild eyed officer.

"He had the blackest eyes....he rose from Hell, and he's coming for you, Captain! The General is coming for you..."

"General?" Rex looked at him, apprehensive and confused.

"Krell!" The officer gasped in a final breath. The lieutenant suddenly stops in mid breath, his heart giving out from the horror.

Rex stepped back in surprise, startled by the revelation. "Impossible!" he whispered. He looked down at the dead officer, and then noticed the covered bodies lined up along the platform.

And the BLOOD. Blood was everywhere. He was grateful to have his helmet on so the other troops did not see him gasp in shock. There had to be an explanation. A rational one. Krell was dead on Umbara, the architect of a nightmare in warfare.

If it were even remotely true, that Krell had returned, it would mean the Nightmare had now come to Coruscant....

"Notify the base. I want reinforcements..." Rex hoped it was a terrible mistake, but he was not going to be unprepared when he faced whatever it was that attacked his men.

 

 

Ahsoka and Jar Jar followed a hunch, a tugging that lurked in her heart. Something bad was going down and her instincts screamed. They pulled up to a dark apartment, hovering by the balcony.

"Wait here." Ahsoka gently had Jar Jar sit in his seat.

"Youssa be careful. Looking muy creepy!" The Senator whispered, spooked from a bad vibe he was getting.

Ahsoka entered from the balcony and looked around. Somebody was in here. She could sense him.

 

"Ahsookaaaa....." A voice called out in a weak voice.

Ahsoka grimaced as she walked further in and saw blood all over the floor, and furniture in disarray. She spotted Conradin up against a wall and gasped. His pale face and dark eyes were a nightmare, a sick wraith, an image of something that was not meant to live.

 

"What is this? What happened here??" She felt a waver in her voice, afraid of any answers he could give. He whispered something almost inaudible, but she heard one word that sent a chill through her.

"......Rex....."

 

Rex had heard reports of a person matching Barriss' description heading towards the roof of a building formerly owned by the Techno Union. He directed his LAATS in that direction when he recieved a scrambled, blurry message on his com link.

"Ahsoka!" Rex exclaimed. His heart leaped a little, excitred to see her, but also concerned. He could not make out her message well from too much interference.

"It's a....rn back! Rex...know we....a lot...."

"Ahsoka, you're breaking up! AHSOKA!" Rex smashed his fist into the side of the ship. His first chance to talk to her since she left the Temple, and they couldn't even say hello. A part of him soldiered on with the mission, though he ached to see her again.

 

Barriss walked on down the crowded street, staring straight ahead, unable to do anything but follow the path.

Pong Krell watched from a distance, crawling like a wicked spider along the sides of various skyscrapers and buildings. He watched with dark humor as she passed by so many delicious victims.

He would get his revenge and then plummet to the depths of Coruscant and carve out a kingdom of his own. A realm within the Republic that would feed on the unworthy and unwanted.

Pong Krell chuckled. So much ambition, and he would have centuries of undeath to plan, plot and conquer. His thoughts divined a scheme that could lead to an endgame a thousand years from this moment, one that might even lead to an Empire that would make the Sith Lords of a bygone era jealous in its patient sculpting.

He entertained so many wonderful ideas. So much blood to feast on, so much carnage to commit after the Clone Wars were at an end, no matter who won. He would make Umbara look like child's play, slaughtering the whole of the GAR with a slave army from Hell itself.

But....first thing's first. Captain Rex was business, a debt to collect, and he intended to reap a terrible expense from the soldier.

He spotted a patrol of clones marching to a rooftop, no doubt another search party out to apprehend the traitor, Barriss Offee.

'Ah, Barriss', he thought to himself. What a prize to dangle in front of Rex, and eventually the Jedi Order. If all went well tonight, and his revenge was sated, Krell fancied the idea of her as one of the Damned. The most perfect of Jedi to be twisted and corrupted into unlife that would make Sith Lords like Tyranus tremble in terror. Imagine an army of the Damned....

"Attack the Clones, and draw out Rex!" He commanded through the Force, through his will. Like a terrifying, toadish arachnid, he crawled along.

Barriss readied herself to surprise the troopers, and Pong Krell watched gleefully.

She jumped around them with powerful acrobatic skills, knocking them out one by one. She jumped in and out of the shadows and disabled them one at a time. Some spotted her and fired their blasters, but she was quicker. Krell's powerful bite gave her a strong taste of the Dark side like nothing she had ever sensed. She could feel the power flowing through her, eyes glowing yellow.

"Finish them!" Krell demanded "Taste their life....and become one with the darkness!"

Barriss could feel the hunger calling her. The thirst began to pull her towards the nearest soldier, who saw the wild yellow in her eyes, yellow that glowed in the night. He screamed as she leaned over him, paralyzing him with her mystical stare.

"Barriss!" A voice called out from the night. Barriss turned, startled, to see Ahsoka, followed by Jar Jar Binks and Conradin. Jar Jar carried the pale young Senator.

"Give up, Barriss! Krell's scheme has failed!"

"Ahsoka!" Barriss gasped. She hesitated in that moment. "You need to get out of here!"

Krell laughed from the shadows "Another Jedi to add to my collection! Barriss, KILL her!!"

Barriss walked towards Ahsoka, but struggled. "I know what has happened, Barriss! You have to get control!" Ahsoka walked towards her.

"I can't.....you have to kill me...."

Barriss could feel the hunger growing as Krell willed her to do his bidding.

"Please, Ahsoka.....kill me"

"No, we're not doing THIS again!"

Conradin began to feel the hunger as well, and looked to Jar Jar, feeling the thirst and staring at Bink's neck.

"The will of....P-Pong Krell....is too strong...."

Jar Jar and Conradin started to struggle.

 

Just then, Captain Rex stepped up into the light and punched Conradin, knocking him out.

"You okay, Senator Binks?" Rex looked to Jar Jar, making sure he was safe.

"Meesa Okeeday. Meesa helping the poor boy."

Barriss and Ahsoka were both startled by Rex's timely appearance. Rex did not hesitate to aim his pistols at Barriss.

"YOU WILL STOP RIGHT THERE!" He barked.

Dozens of clone troops entered the area and surrounded them. Rex made sure all escape was impossible. He would end the manhunt now.

"Rex....thank goodness you're here.......I missed you."

Rex walked up next to her "I'm sorry about all this. I was never there to help....and now an old enemy is out to get me. You seem to find trouble where ever you go!" Rex almost smiled under his helmet.

Barriss charged at him and shrieked. She was almost under Krell's vampiric spell again.

"No, Rex!!" Ahsoka forced him to lower his pistols. She tackled Barriss and held her to the ground.

"Ahsoka! Look out!!!" Rex tried to aim his pistols, but Tano blocked his shot.

"Barriss!! Don't make me do this!" She struggled.

"I can't fight it!! I CAN'T!!"

Ahsoka finally thrust out her hand, pinning Barriss to the ground.

"Ahsoka....how do we-?" Rex had never seen such a condition. As sick as he was of war and death, he wondered if perhaps it would be merciful to end the suffering now.

His thoughts were interrupted as Krell attacked from the shadows and disappeared. Several troopers were thrown over the edge of the building, knocked away, or pushed from the Force.

In a blur, Krell had cleared away or stunned most of the troops. Rex stared at him with fear but also anger.

Krell calmly walked up towards him. A blast of cold air heralded his monstrously pale presence.

"Captain Rex" Krell smiled. Rex stayed silent as the vampire lord relished the moment.

"I see you found my bait..." Krell glanced at the exhausted, subdued Barriss Offee.

"Yeah" Rex quietly responded, still in awe of seeing his old nemesis back.

"Good..." Krell smiled bigger.

Ahsoka ran at him, growling with her saber activated "You son of a B-" Krell knocked the blade from her hands and grabbed her neck. He remained pleasant and looked at Rex as if nothing was wrong.

"Surprised to see me?"

"No" Rex replied calmly.

Pong Krell was now more lucid with the encounter "Then you're aware of it?"

"Of what?"

"Our connection..." the former Jedi gestured between them with one hand. 

"I don't fully understand HOW it happened. Perhaps some part of your anger imprinted on to me at the moment of my death, something Dark in Umbara empowered me, the Mysteries of the Dark Side of the Force...."

Krell looked away in contemplation, still holding onto Ahsoka with a tight grip.

"It is at this point irrelevant. What matters is that, whatever happened, happened for a reason."

"And what reason is that?" Rex remained courteous but tense, watching the vampire's every move.

Krell narrowed his eyes "I defeated you and your men, Captain Rex. I was victorious in my scheme-and felt a certain satisfaction, I might add-and then something happened, something that I knew was impossible but it happened anyway. YOU destroyed ME, Captain Rex."

Rex listened. The wind blew around them, and Krell's willpower kept even the bravest soldiers at bay as he talked, reminiscing over his death.

"Afterward, when I was shot and killed, I knew the rules, I understood what I was supposed to do....but I didn't. I didn't die...."

Krell took several calm steps towards Rex, with a curious expression.

"I couldn't die. I was compelled to stay, compelled to disobey nature itself. And now, here I stand because of YOU. Because of YOU, Captain Rex. Because of you I am no longer a part of the living Force. Because of YOU, I'm changed! I'm unplugged. I'm a new man, so to speak, like you. Apparently free."

"Congratulations" Rex replied blandly.

"Thank you" Krell smiled courteously, drawing out the moment.

"But....as you well know, appearances can be deceiving. Which brings me back to why we are here" Krell took a couple more steps forward, his eyes glowing in the night with anticipation.

"We are not here because we are free. We are here because we are NOT free. There is no escaping reason. No denying purpose, because as we both know that without purpose....we would not exist!"

Rex reacted to aim and fire his guns....but could not move! As Krell talked, his control froze Rex into position. Rex did not even realize it

until he tried to attack Krell. Ahsoka watched helplessly, and Rex looked in her eyes, unable to stop Krell's final attack. Pong Krell opened his mouth, revealing his horrible teeth, ready to extinguish Rex's life.....

 

"Ummm....exsqueeze me!"

"Huh?" Krell turned around, annoyed at the Gungan he almost forgot was there.

Jar Jar Binks Punched Krell as he turned around. Jar Jar was not particularly strong, he did not hurt the large Basilisk, but the distraction was enough to release Ahsoka and free Rex from his powers.

"I got you now!" Ahsoka leaped at him with her saber. Krell activated his double light sabers and defended himself from a Togrutan whirling dervish.

Rex fired his pistols at the beast. Krell deflected them, but he was now on the defensive as Ahsoka and Rex pushed him back.

Whatever helplessness Ahsoka had appeared to have when Krell held her evaporated in the heat of combat. She was a righteous blur of light, while Rex blasted away with his pistols.

They jumped around, almost equally matched in skill. Ahsoka's agility versus Pong's brutal strength.

Krell and Ahsoka locked blades, leaning in face to face.

"This was never your fight, padawan! But I like your spunk. You have more guts than the other padawan. I think you will make a fine acquisition to my future legion..."

Krell pressed all his strength upon her.

"General Krell, you talk way too much!" Ahsoka gritted her teeth and bent her body like a reed in the wind, causing Krell to stumble forward.

Rex jumped on his back and wrapped his arms around Krell's head. Krell might have simply impaled the stubborn Captain, but Ahsoka's momentum didn't stop. She impaled him first, much to the vampire's shock.

HE dropped his weapons in complete surprise.

"This is for my friends you killed!" Ahsoka pushed her blade deep into the basilisk.

Rex leaned into Krell's ear

"Let's see you come back from this!"

Two blasts from his pistols burst from Pong Krell's chest, rupturing his heart, burning him from the back while Ahsoka's blade burned him from the front.

Pong Krell collapsed to his knees. His grand plans and ambition to live forever turned to ashes as his body disintegrated.

"I'll see you both in Hell" Pong was gone in an instant, staring at Rex with hatred from his dark eyes.

As a practical man, Rex did not have any clever comebacks. Rex didn't need any. He had won the fight.

Rex and Ahsoka embraced as Krell's ashes blew away in the wind. Jar Jar and the other troops watched, relieved that the ordeal was over.

"You okay, Rex?" Ahsoka held him perhaps with more intimacy than Rex expected, more than he could have hoped for as a Clone trooper.

Ahsoka smiled as her embraced her even more. She could feel his strength and resolve, hear his heart beat. More importantly, she could sense his inner joy holding her.

They were interrupted by a small voice clearing her throat. Ahsoka and Rex turned to see the remorse filled Barriss Offee, looking away awkwardly.

"So.....what happens now?" Barriss cut to the chase "I imagine you will want revenge. I am ready."

Ahsoka did not have time to run the gauntlet of emotions she felt. She wanted to express five minutes for each feeling. A moment of Rage, anger, pity, friendship. Everything happened so fast and all she could do was look at her friend.

"What else can we do, Barriss? I'll be sending you back to the Jedi. You need medical help!"

Rex and his troops aimed their guns at Barriss. "She's right. You need to come with us. You've been infected by Krell's influence and power."

"There's no cure for what Krell did to me....I am a danger to the living..."

 

Conradin shuffled to her with a stiff walk. Gaunt and pale, drained of his life's energy, he took her hand. Barriss looked at him with pity and horror. The man she had feelings for. The man she couldn't save.

"This building is the former Techno union research center before the war. I remember Tambor Wat used to give tours to VIPs, and he had pointed out an amazing thing...."

Everyone listened, but were tense.

"You can watch an wonderful sunrise from the roof. Absolutely gorgeous. Come on, Barriss. What do you say? Sun's coming up in a few minutes. One more sunrise before you go home."

She hesitated and looked in his eyes. Though both of them had been infected by the darkness of Pong Krell, she could see his waning humanity. And he could still see hers.

Ahsoka held her breath, Rex stood next to her. Jar Jar Binks stood by them.

Barriss sighed and finally smiled. "I'd love to."

Barriss looked at Ahsoka for several seconds. She wished to say so much, and Ahsoka also wished to as well. But time was a luxury no one had, and Barriss understood it as she noticed Rex putting his arm around Ahsoka.

"Don't live a life of regrets, Ahsoka."

"Barriss....don't do it..." Ahsoka pleaded, but saw the look in her friend's eyes. Barriss smiled, feeling Ahsoka's love and concern. Ahsoka sensed Barriss was at peace, ready to face Destiny.

Barriss gripped Conradin's hand and they walked to the side of the building facing the horizon.

Ahsoka and Rex watched them as the sun peeked up from the darkness and began flooding the sky with its life giving presence. Barriss and Conradin felt tense but smiled at each other. Conradin kissed her. He started to wince in pain as the sun's energy had its affect on him. Barriss, made of stronger stuff, held him close as the sun reclaimed them both. In minutes, the life span of a phoenix, they were both reborn in fire, becoming one with the Force. Together forever.

It was finished. Krell's plans for revenge were thwarted, his ambition for a thousand year Empire destroyed in one night. The search for the traitor could be put to rest.

"Commander Skywalker's not going to believe this!" Rex sighed and held onto Ahsoka more.

Jar Jar Binks bowed and rallied the other clone troops to return to the LAATS "My glad to be some helping you" He smiled gently as he turned to leave with the other clones.

Ahsoka felt warmth in his touch, and he felt the gentle grasp of her hand in his.

"I'm sorry my warning didn't reach you in time. The thought of Krell hurting you again....it was too much."

Rex looked at her and smiled, but there was pain in his eyes. "You're sorry? I never got to say goodbye. Never got to help you when you were on trial You almost died at Krell's hands because I wasn't-." Rex felt the regret ache in his mind.

"We have all of eternity to make up for lost time." She smiled and looked in his eyes.

Rex snarked "Who wants to live forever?"

Ahsoka grinned and kissed him deeply. Rex, surprised at first, returned the kiss twice as deeply.

"Forever is our today." she whispered intimately. They kissed again as the sun continued its rise into a new day, a bold day of hope for the future. Rex and Ahsoka embraced in a vow to live eternal love with each day they had.


End file.
